Electrochemical energy reservoirs, such as especially lithium-ion batteries, are used nowadays in many application sectors, for example in mobile communications or consumer electronics. Although energy reservoirs of this kind have a large storage capacity (up to 150 Wh/kg), there is still room for improvement.
Lithium-sulfur batteries, for example, can exhibit a high energy density of up to 600 Wh/kg. Such batteries are based in particular on the overall reaction 2 Li+S═Li2S, with which a voltage of approximately 2.0 V to 2.5 V with respect to Li/Li+ can be made available. At present, however, such lithium-sulfur batteries still exhibit some drawbacks. The microstructure of conventional cathodes made of a porous carbon/sulfur mixture, for example, can change during operation, which can result in an interruption of electrical contact to the sulfur and thus in a decrease in charge capacity and rate capability.
European Published Patent Application No. 2 339 674 discloses a lithium-sulfur battery. A lithium-sulfur battery of this kind has a cathode structure that encompasses a continuous layer of nanotubes or nanowires and also sulfur particles, the sulfur particles being attached to the nanotubes or nanowires, and the continuous layer being in contact with an electrolyte layer.